From its humble beginnings in 1969, the Cottonwood Art Festival has developed into one of the most prestigious fine art festivals in the United States. Local artists staged their first festival at the scenic Cottonwood Park in Richardson, Texas. It was all tie-dye, bell-bottoms, and braids back then where the artists laid down blankets and set up easels with the hopes of selling a few pieces of art. Since that first weekend, five decades later, Cottonwood has established itself as a signature national art event, becoming a tradition in the community and the home to the finest artists in the country.